1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to display devices for use in a vehicle or the like which include a driving mechanism that moves a display panel from an initial position to an extended position.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are display devices for use in a vehicle which include a display unit configured to move from an initial position in which the display unit is housed in a housing of the display device to an extended position in which the display unit extends outside the housing, or from an initial position in which the display unit is housed inside an instrument panel or a dashboard in the compartment of vehicle to an extended position in which the display unit extends outside the instrument panel or the dashboard.
In some recent display units, an opening which is open upward is formed on a housing or on an instrument panel or a dashboard so that the display unit extends upward through the opening and, when in the extended position, the display unit is located above the opening with a display screen oriented inside the compartment of the vehicle.
In a display device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-74303, a display panel is housed in the housing while assuming the horizontal position with a display screen oriented downward in the initial position. Then, the display panel rotates from the initial position with the front end first extending out of the opening. When the entire display panel has been rotated, the display panel assumes the extended position. The display panel in the extended position is located above the opening with the display screen oriented inside the compartment of the vehicle.
In a display device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-30848, a display panel is housed with a display screen vertically oriented when the display panel is in the initial position. Then, the display panel moves vertically upward so as to assume the extended position. When the display panel assumes the extended position, an image can be displayed on the display screen.
In the display device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-74303, the display panel is housed in a nearly horizontal state in the initial position and rotates in the upwardly-directed opening formed on the housing so as to assume the extended position in which the display panel is in a nearly vertical state. When the display panel passes through the opening, the angle of the display panel significantly changes, and accordingly, the opening area of the opening which allows the display panel to pass through needs to be sufficiently larger than the cross sectional area of the display panel. As a result, a large gap is created between the display panel in the extended position and the inner periphery of the opening, and dirt, dust and foreign matters may easily enter the gap.
Further, in display devices for use in a vehicle, the display screen can be set in a full screen extended position in which the full screen is located outside the opening and in a partial screen extended position in which only part of the screen is located outside the opening so as to accommodate to a variety of displays. In the display device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-74303, the display screen can be oriented inside the compartment of the vehicle when the display screen is in the full screen extended position. However, when the display screen is in the partial screen extended position, part of the display screen cannot be seen from the inside of the compartment of the vehicle since the display screen is oriented obliquely downward.
In the display device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-30848, the display panel is configured to simply move linearly in the up and down direction and not to rotate. In this display device, the opening area of the upwardly-directed opening formed on the housing or on the instrument panel or the dashboard can be reduced and the display panel can be moved upward while assuming the vertical position to the partial screen extended position.
In the display device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-30848, the angular position of the display panel does not change and the display panel is housed in the initial position assuming the vertical position. Accordingly, a vertically long space is necessary in the compartment of the vehicle for positioning the display device. Since various components such as air ducts for the air conditioner and audio components are disposed in the instrument panel or in the dashboard of a vehicle, it may be difficult to allow the display panel to be housed in the vertical position in some types of vehicle.